Steven Kwan used to be one of the best players on the Cleveland Guardians roster in the past. That was the case from 2022 to 2025, when he became one of the most reliable leadoff hitters in baseball and a four-time Gold Glove Award winner. He is also a two-time All-Star.
To see him struggling like this in 2026 is baffling. There’s nothing that can explain such a huge drop-off unless there’s a nagging injury affecting his performance. However, it’s also important to note that his performance has tanked since the second half of last year.
One has to think that Kwan is too good to be struggling like this and that he will turn his season around at some point. The Guardians have demoted him from leadoff duties, but they haven’t benched him yet. They still have faith in him despite his horrendous .211/.322/.259 line and 72 wRC+.
Folks at the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show discussed what the Guardians could and should do at this point, and a surprising option was thrown on the table. Analyst Mike Lucas suggested that he could be sent down to Triple-A Columbus to regain his confidence and swing.
“I don’t know how frequent it would be to send down a guy of his stature and resume. I mean, it’s not—it’s unusual, but not unprecedented. But he needs something. He needs—this is, this is a guy that we discussed about last year, “Could he hit .400?” His—he may not hit .200 this year,” Lucas said.
Kwan could theoretically be sent down to Triple-A, as he has three minor league options left. It would be quite unusual, and it’s, ultimately, highly unlikely. Still, it’s certainly not an impossible scenario.
Kwan’s trade value was sky-high last year and the seasons before, as he was an established All-Star with multiple seasons of team control. Now that he’s a year and a half away from free agency and struggling to post respectable numbers, it will be hard for someone to put together an enticing package for Cleveland. Trading him would be selling low.
Sending him down might help him clear his head and work on some mechanical things, but it’s not guaranteed to work and might affect the player’s morale and the team’s chemistry. It’s a risky move, for sure.
No matter how you slice it, it’s a difficult situation for the Guardians. A once-valuable trade asset is now facing an uncertain future.
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